Closure and fastener for cartons



Oct 6, 1954 1.. c. PENNEBAKER ET A-L 2,692,721

CLOSURE AND FASTENER FOR CARTONS v Filed May 10 1951 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 1954 L. c. PENNEBAKER ETAL CLOSURE AND FASTENER FOR CARTONS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 10 1951 Patented Oct. 26, 1954 2 CLOSURE AND FASTENER FOR CARTONS Lewis (3. Pennebaker and Leonidas E. Johnson, Chattanooga, Tenn, assignors to 0. B. Andrews Company, Chattanooga, Tenn, a corporation of Tennessee Application May 10, 1951, Serial No. 225,626

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a carton formed of a single sheet of paperboard cut and scored to provide a carton having a top opening that may be closed or opened easily and quickly.

The carton is particularly designed for use as a container for popcorn or similar confections. When popcorn is sold in a theater lobby the sales must be made quickly during the rush between shows or between acts, and time lost in setting up boxes causes loss of sales because prospective customers generally will not wait to buy the popcorn if the waiting will make them miss part of the performance. It is often impractical to set up a sufiicient number of cartons before the rush to take care of the sales because of the space required. Even if the cartons are set up in advance, it is often impossible for the clerk to take the time to close the top of the carton, and the result is that popcorn is spilled by patrons carrying it to their seats in unclosed cartons. In accordance with the present inven tion the cartons are stacked in flat folded condition, the bottom is arranged so that it will snap into proper position when the sides of the carton are pressed from the flat form into tubular form, and the top is adapted to be quickly and securely closed after filling.

It is an object of this invention to provide a carton with a top that may be closed quickly and efficiently and yet may be easily reopened by the consumer. It is a further object to pro vide a carton with a top that may be closed again by the consumer if the contents are not all consumed.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings showing a preferred illustrative embodiment of i the invention, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a closed. carton embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the carton shown in Fig. 1 showing the bottom;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective View showing the upper portion of the carton with the top in open position;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view showing the cut and score lines at one side of the upper portion of the carton;

Fig. 5 is a View, similar to Fig. 3, showing the top of the carton partially folded;

Fig. 6 is a view, similar to Fig. 3, showing the top of the carton as it approaches closed position;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary cross sectional view showing the top of the carton in closed position;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary cross sectional view showing the top closure flap being snapped into closed position;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary cross sectional view sholwing the top closure flap in closed position; an

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the blank from which the carton is formed.

Referring to Fig. 10 of the drawings, the blank comprises a single sheet of paperboard cut and scored to provide back and front wall. panels 2 and 3 respectively, side wall panels 4 and 5, and'glue flap 6, which are foldable along score lines I, B, 9 and it. During the manufacturing operation the blank is folded on score lines 1 and 9 and flap 6 is adhered to panel 3: in any suitable manner.

The bottom of the carton may be formed in any suitable manner. As illustrated, however, it is formed by flaps ll, l2, l3 and M which are separated from panels 2, 3, i and 5 by score lines l5, it, I! and i8, respectively. The flap I! is provided with a recess 19 disposed centrally of its free edge, and the flap I2 is provided with a tongue 20 adapted to interlock with the recess 59 when the bottom of the carton is set up. A score line 2| extends diagonally of flap H from one end of the score line i5 to the edge of recess l9, and a similar score line 22 extends diagonally of flap I2. The corner portion 23 of flap II set oil by the score line 2| is adhered to iiap It and the portion 24 of flap I2 set off by the score line 22 is adhered to the flap !3. When portions 23 and 24 are adhered respectively to flaps l4 and 13, the score lines 2i and 22 permit the bottom of the carton to be formed in flat position with the flaps folded against the interior surfaces of the wall panels and with the tongue 2! offset laterally from the recess I9. When the sides of the carton are pressed from fiat to tubular form, the tongue 20 registers with the recess is and the inherent resilience of the paperboard causes flaps H, l2, l3 and M to move towards a common plane with the bottom interlocked by the interengagement between the tongue 20 and recess H3.

The top of the carton comprises a flap 25 separated from panel 2 by a score line 25, and a narrow flap 27 separated from panel 3 by a score line 28. A web 29 connects the adjacent edges of panel 5 and flaps 25 and 27 and is separated from panel 5 by a score line 30, from flap 25 by a score line 3|, and from flap 21 by a score line 32. The score lines 30 and 3| are perpendicular to each other and the triangular portion of tab 29 is bisected by score line 33 so that when flap 25 is folded along score line 33 the web 29 comprises two triangular portions superimposed and projecting outwardly beyond fold line 3! and constitute a composite triangular tab. The smaller triangular portion 3 1 of tab 29 folds between the superimposed triangular portions of the tab when the flap 2'! is folded at right angles along score line 28 and the fiap 25 is subsequently folded along score line 26.

A web 35 similar to the Web 29 but reversed thereto is provided on the opposite side at the upper edge of panel t. Since the structure at each side of the top of the carton duplicates the structure at the opposite side, except for the reversal of directions, only one side of the top will be specifically described. A plurality of diagonal cut lines 36 and 31 provided in the upper edge portion of panel 5 are intersected by a out line 38 parallel to score line 38 to form a portion 39 of substantially the same area as the area of tab 29 when it is folded except for the extreme tip portion. A slit 4!] extends outwardly from out line 38 to form two flaps ll and 32.

When the carton is to be closed the flap 2? is folded inwardly along the line 28 and the flap 25 is then folded inwardly along the line 26 so that the tabs 29 and 35 project outwardly with the portions 34 interposed between the triangular portions of the tabs 29 and 35. The composite tabs 29 and 35 are then pressed downwardly and inwardly. The slit 4t permits the flaps 4H and 42 to flex so that the corner of tab 22 can be pushed past the panel 5. The flaps M and 42 then move back to their normal position and the tabs 29 and 35 are interlocked with panels 5 and 4, respectively, because the end of the tab projects below the out line 38. It is to be noted that while the tabs 29 and 35 move or swing downwardly into position within the opening defined by the cut lines 36 and 31, the generally trapezoidal portions 39 which normally fill the openings yield and swing inwardly of the carton and upwardly against the flaps 21 and 25 which assume a horizontal position and constitute a composite top wall for the closed carton. In other words, the portion 39 may be said to be displaced by the tabs 29 and 35 during closure of the carton.

The flap 25 facilitates filling the carton because it projects beyond the edge of flap 2'! when the carton is set up with its top open. The carton with its top open can be pushed into a large receptacle containing popcorn and the flap 25 acts as a lip to hold enough popcorn so that the carton will be substantially filled in one motion. The flaps 25 and 2! are then folded inwardly and the tabs 29 and 35 pressed downwardly and inwardly to close the carton. Although flaps l! and 42 hold the end of the tabs 29 and 35 securely so'that the top will not open accidently, it is necessary only to grasp the front edge of flap 25 and raise it upwardly to move the tabs 2e and 35 to open position.

During filling of the carton in the manner set forth above and after the same is filled, but before the carton is closed, the trapezoidal portions 2'59 fill the opening provided by the cut lines 36 and. 31 and prevent egress of the popcorn 4 kernels from these openings. the carton and while the portions 39 swing inwardly and upwardly as previously explained, the popcorn kernels are backed up so to speak and pushed away from the opening until the portions 39 have been displaced by the oncoming flaps 29 and 35. Thus at no time is there any leakage or spilling of the popcorn.

While the foregoing specification sets forth a preferred embodiment of the invention in considerable detail, many changes may be made in the construction without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A tubular carton having front, back and side walls, a top flap foldably joined to each of said front and back walls, the top flap joined to said back Wall being of sufficient length to extend substantially completely across said carton and the top flap joined to said front wail being relatively short and adapted to underlie the outer portion of said back wall top flap when both are folded inwardly at right angles to said front and back walls, a first triangular web portion joined to the top of each of said side walls along a hinge line, second triangular Web portions foldably joined to said back wall top flap and to each of said first web portions, and third triangular web portions foldably joined to said front wall top flap and to each of said first web portions, said first and second web portions at each side of said carton being of substantially equal size and adapted to overlie one another when said back wall top flap is folded down to form an outwardly folded composite tab, said tabs being triangular and having said hinge lines as their bases, each of said side walls being provided with a cut extending from one side edge thereof to the other and comprising sections converging toward each other from the ends of said hinge line and a central section parallel to said hinge line to form therefrom a truncated triangular tab based on said hinge line, said composite tabs having sufficient length so that they are adapted to displace said truncated triangular tabs inwardly and to engage said side walls below said cuts to hold said front and back wall top flaps folded down to form a closure for said carton.

2. A tubular carton as defined in claim 1 wherein a second cut extends downwardly from the middle of said central section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,148,502 Cowlishaw Aug. 3, 1915 1,672,251 Fox June 5, 1928 1,953,885 McAleer Apr. 3, 1934 2,464,065 Zinn Mar. 8, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 338,139 France Mar. 11, 1903 91,734 Sweden Mar. 10, 1938 During closing of 

